53 Ways to Check for Understanding

Great ways to verify what students have learned!  Edutopia shares 53 Ways to Check for Understanding.  Take a look at the strategies suggested!

http://www.edutopia.org/resource/checking-understanding-download?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

53 Ways to Check for Understanding

Edutopia provides a list of 53 Ways to Check for Understanding. You will find quick and easy strategies to verify what students have learned.  Some examples include Mind Maps, Comic Book, Podcast, You've Got Mail!  Check it out!!

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Digital Media Exit Cards

Edutopia shares examples of what a digital media exit card might look like in Hit the Mark with Digital Media Exit Cards.  These are excellent ways to assess what the students are learning!

Hit the Mark with Digital Media Exit Cards.

Safe Classroom Communication

The app called Remind is a free and safe way for teachers to text students and parents.  Students and parents can receive reminders, homework, assessments and motivational messages directly to their phones.


http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/05/use-remind-101-iphone-app-to-keep.html#.VFbXWlPF800

25 Quick Formative Assessments for a Differentiated Classroom

Judith Dodge gives examples of 25 Quick Formative Assessments for a Differentiated Classroom.

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Classroom Use:  Examples of how the following can be used as formative assessments:

• Summaries and Reflections
• Lists, Charts, and Graphic Organizers
• Visual Representation of Information
• Collaborative Activities 

How to Determine A Student's Prior Knowledge

Edudemic provides a few tips on How to Determine A Student's Prior Knowledge in order to get everyone on the same page.

http://www.edudemic.com/a-students-prior-knowledge/

Differentiated Assessment

Click here to enjoy our Differentiated Assessment Presentation!
Thanks Gina and Naomi for allowing me to share!


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Student Profile: A Google Survey

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Create your Student/Class Profile using Google Survey.  

With the click of a few buttons you can develop a 

student /class profile that can be easily accessed on 

your Google Drive!

Differentiated Assessment

Differentiated assessment is the ongoing collection of data before, during and after instruction to better facilitate learning. Click here to find examples of differentiated assessment (formative pre-assessment tools, assessment during the learning, formative assessment after the learning, and summative assessment). More examples of 25 Quick Formative Assessments for the Differentiated Classroom.

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Assessment Through the Student's Eyes

Rick Stiggins states that "rather than sorting students into winners and losers, assessment for learning can put all students on a winning streak" Assessment Through Student's Eyes gives us a good look into how to cultivate a classroom of winners.

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Activities for Assessing Prior Knowledge

Learning progresses primarily from prior knowledge.  "Constructivism proposes that new knowledge is constructed from old. It holds the educational belief that as teachers, it's essential that we make connections between what new is being presented with students' prior experiences" (Edutopia, 2011). 
Are you Tapping into Prior Knowledge Often Enough in your Classroom? provides activities for tapping into knowledge.

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The Importance of Feedback

Here is a great activity to test your feedback skills:

 The feedback figure

This feedback game is used to demonstrate the value of checking whether you heard correctly.

This training game is played in pairs. It is played in two rounds. The seating for this training game are pairs of chairs are placed around the room giving the participants the room to spread out. The chairs have their back to each other. So when participants are seated they will have their backs to each other.

In the pairs one of the participants is assigned the letter name A and the other is assigned the letter name B.

All the 'A's in this training game are given the following figure on a paper. 

The 'B's in this training game are given an empty sheet of paper and a pen or a pencil. This is the first round. The 'A's are expected to communicate to 'B' the figure in their hands so that the 'B's are able to draw an exact replica on the sheet given to them.

In this round of the feedback game a constraint is introduced. The 'B's are told not to speak while playing this round of the training game. They have just to listen and draw according to the instructions by 'A'.

After everybody has finished playing the round the 'B's share their version of the figure with the 'A's. Very rarely does anybody get the figure right. There's quite a bit of laughter at the copies of the figure that the 'B's have made.

In the next round of this feedback game the 'A's are given a second figure.This time the 'B's are given the opportunity to speak and check with the 'A's about any instructions that they did not understand. After, they have finished, the 'B' show their figures. In this step of the listening game they discover that except for a couple of mistakes all the reproductions are similar to the above figure

Feedback games: Debrief of this training game - 'feedback figures game'. Using the questions:

'How do you feel?' and 'What are you learning?'

have the group reflect on how their 'listening' was better when they sought feedback from the speakers. Drive home the fact that to work effectively in groups feedback is essential. 

Portfolio Assessment

Great resource for Assessment for Learning:  Portfolios!

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Ten Takeaway Tips for Critical Thinking

We often talk about how important it is for our students to develop critical thinking skills in order to be literate learners.  Edutopia provides Ten Takeaway Tips for Critical Thinking.

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5 Ways Technology is Helping Your Child do Better in School

http://socialsteak.com/2014/01/23/5-ways-technology-is-helping-your-child-do-better-in-school/#

Technology allows teachers to easily track student progress, students are more engaged in content, it allows for better organization of materials, adaptive programs can be utilized and it saves on resources.
See 5 Ways Technology is Helping Your Child do Better in School for further Details.
Thanks for sharing this information, Mario!

Flubaroo -Grading Made Easy

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Flubaroo allows you to grade online assignments in one easy step. You can generate a report or analysis of student performance. If you wish results can be communicated to students by email.

Authentic Assessment

This video is an overview of Authentic Assessment and also provides rationale for its use in Special Education.


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27 Ways to Check for Understanding

"Checking for understanding is the foundation of teaching", according to Teacher Thought. Some of theses assessments can be performed in 90 seconds or less.

http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/27-simple-ways-check-understanding/

Best Reaction to a Child's Report Card

I love this video!  A must see:  Best reaction to a report card, possibly ever.

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Teaching Gifted Students in the Regular Class

"Teaching Young Gifted Children in the Regular Classroom" is an article from ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education. There is information about identifying giftedness, recognizing

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gifted behaviours, portfolios, creating a learning environment, allowing for flexible grouping and assessing and documenting.

You may also wish to see the Gifted and 21st Century Learning categories.